Providing navigation and construction of sports wagers on a player terminal and related systems and methods

ABSTRACT

A system, computer-implemented method and gaming device are provided. A system includes a processor circuit, a memory coupled to the processor circuit. The memory includes machine-readable instructions that cause the processor circuit to generate a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes two axis display control to determine a selected event group from multiple event groups and to determine multiple events from multiple events, receive wager amount data and wager type data via the GUI, after receiving the wager amount data and the wager type data via the GUI, receive event selection inputs corresponding to the events and determine an aggregate total amount of wager investment and winnings based on outcomes of selected ones of the events.

BACKGROUND

Embodiments described herein relate to providing opportunities forbetting on events. Events, such as sporting events have many aspectsthat make them attractive to spectators, both from an entertainmentstandpoint and a wagering and/or betting standpoint. Sports wagering onmobile devices, such as user associated terminals, continues toincrease. Mobile sports wagering applications may be complex becauselimited screen space may force multiple screen layouts and drill down,which may result in an increased number of clicks for each wager. Whileabundant options offered in mobile wagering applications may appeal toadvanced bettors, such abundance may deter recreational bettors. Astechnology improves and as the competition for the attention of bettorsincreases, there is a need for an improved interface for sports wageringon mobile devices.

SUMMARY

According to some embodiments, a system for constructing sports wagersincludes a processor circuit and a memory coupled to the processorcircuit. The memory includes machine-readable instructions that, whenexecuted by the processor circuit, cause the processor circuit togenerate a GUI that includes two axis display control to determine aselected event group from multiple event groups and to determinemultiple events from multiple events, receive wager amount data andwager type data via the GUI, after receiving the wager amount data andthe wager type data via the GUI, receive event selection inputscorresponding to the events, and determine an aggregate total amount ofwager investment and winnings based on outcomes of selected ones of theevents.

Some embodiments are directed to a computer-implemented method ofoperating a gaming device. Operations according to such methods includereceiving wager data corresponding to multiple events and wagers,generating a graphical user interface (GUI) on a display device thatreceives an input that corresponds to a wager, wherein the inputincludes a first wager input, a second wager input and a third wagerinput, receiving, via the graphical user interface, the first wagerinput that selects a wagering type, after receiving the first wagerinput, receiving, via the graphical user interface, the second wagerinput that selects a wagering amount, after receiving the second wagerinput, receiving, via the graphical user interface, the third wagerinput that selects a first event of the events corresponding to thewager that is based on the first wager input and the second wager input,and sending, via a communication interface and to a wagering server,constructed wager data corresponding to the wager defined by the firstwager input, the second wager input and the third wager input.

Some embodiments are directed to a gaming device that includes a displaydevice, a processor circuit, and a memory coupled to the processorcircuit. The memory includes machine-readable instructions that, whenexecuted by the processor circuit, cause the processor circuit toreceive, from a wagering data server, wager data corresponding tomultiple events and wagers and generate a graphical user interface (GUI)on the display device that receives, via the touch screen input a firstwager input, a second wager input and a third wager input. The firstwager input selects a wagering type. After receiving the first wagerinput, the second wager input selects a wagering amount. After receivingthe second wager input, the third wager input selects multiple ones ofthe events corresponding to the wager that is based on the first wagerinput and the second wager input and constructed wager datacorresponding to the wager defined by the first wager input, the secondwager input and the third wager input is sent to the wagering server viaa communication interface and to the.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram that illustrates a system includinga plurality of gaming devices according to some embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating network configurationsfor a system including a wagering data server and a gaming contentserver according to some embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram that illustrates various componentsof a computing device, which may embody or be included as part of thedevices, systems, and/or components above, according to someembodiments.

FIG. 4 is a schematic front view of a mobile device displaying ascreenshot of a graphical user interface according to some embodiments.

FIG. 5 is a schematic front view of a mobile device displaying a partialscreenshot of a graphical user interface as illustrated in FIG. 4 forconstructing a straight wager according to some embodiments.

FIG. 6 includes two schematic front views of a mobile device displayinga screenshot of a graphical user interface as illustrated in FIG. 4 forconstructing a parley wager according to some embodiments.

FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram that illustrates a dedicated gamingterminal for constructing wagers corresponding to live sporting eventaccording to some embodiments.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating operations of systems/methodsaccording to some embodiments.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating operations of systems/methodsaccording to some embodiments.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating operations of systems/methodsaccording to some embodiments.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating operations of systems/methodsaccording to some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Sports wagering on mobile devices has experienced steady growth, howevermobile application design has not kept up. Mobile sports wageringapplications may be complex because limited screen space forces multiplescreen layouts and drill-downs to provide navigation, both of whichincrease the number of clicks.

Mobile wagering applications offer many options. Abundant options appealto advanced but deter recreational players. Conventional applicationsmay generally follow a similar wager construction workflow of selectingone or more event/game outcomes and assigning it into a virtual bettingslip (much like a like a virtual shopping cart), choosing the type ofwager (straight, parlay, round-robin, etc.), and specifying the wageramount (investment) or prospective winning. Conventionally the virtualbetting slip is on a separate page, while the choosing and electingoperations may require the virtual betting slip.

Embodiments herein are directed to various systems, devices and methodsfor sports betting that use graphical user input techniques to providenavigation and construction of sports wagers on a player terminal, forplacing a sports wager on a live sporting event during the live sportingevent. Specifically, embodiments herein provide a user interface that isa technical solution that addresses the problem corresponding to theamount of time it takes to define and place a wager on specific outcomesoccurring during a live sporting event.

Some embodiments herein provide a mobile application having anunconventional user interface for constructing sports wagers on a touchdevice, such as a player mobile device and/or kiosk. Embodiments hereinprovide wager constructions with a minimal number of clicks and thusunique user experiences.

Further, events/games as disclosed herein may include live sportingevents such as professional sporting events, amateur and/or collegiatesporting events among others. Sporting events may include any team sportor contest and/or any individual sport or contest. Sports may includeany sports corresponding to balls, pucks, stones, swords, cards, dice,trivia knowledge, tracks, hurdles, javelins, rackets, firearms, bows,and/or weights, among others. Streaming sporting events may includevirtual sporting events in which real or virtual sporting participantsare depicted in a virtually presented event and/or contest. Outcomes ofsuch virtual sporting events may be determined by rule-based operationof the sporting event that may include random determinations regardingin-play outcomes.

Embodiments disclosed herein may be performed using a gaming device toperform sports betting. As used herein, a gaming device may includemobile devices, personal computers, kiosks and/or sports bettingterminals, among others. The in-play sports bet is a real time bet inwhich the user predicts the actions of the team or team member or theresult of the team in the near future such as the next down, nextservice, next possession and/or next turn. The user can wager realmoney, virtual money and/or points.

In a typical wager sequence in which the player begins by selecting oneor more game/event outcomes first, then selects a wager type and finallyenters the wager amount. Embodiments herein provide that first theplayer selects a wager type and the amount. As a last operation, theuser selects one or more event(game) outcomes after the wager type andevent. Such embodiments may be particularly advantageous for players whotend to wager the same bet types and similar amounts corresponding tomultiple different game/event outcomes.

Further, some embodiments may reduce underlying wagering complexity bypresenting outcomes in terms of prospective profits and/or investmentswithout the player having to switch screens. In such embodiments, theplayer may decide to view the wagers in terms of the amount to wager(investment) and/or the amount to win (profit).

Some embodiments provide that the player may be able to select whetherto play a straight wager or to play parlay wagers. If the player selectsthe amount to wager, embodiments herein may calculate and displayprospective winnings adjacent offered outcomes. Responsive to the playerchoosing the amount to win, embodiments may calculate and display therequired wager amounts adjacent outcomes (selections). In someembodiments, the calculations may follow standard wagering mathematics.Some embodiments provide that, for parlay wagers, the calculated valuesmay accumulate with previously selected outcomes.

Embodiments herein may combine the presentation of a sports offer(events and outcomes) with the wager section on the same screen toimprove a user experience relative to conventional approaches. Byreducing the number of inputs that a player need to perform bettingsports betting operation on a mobile device, the computationalefficiency of embodiments herein is improved over conventionalapproaches.

By scrolling up and down the event/game list, the player positions thedesired event/game under a fixed wager section to see and bet onevent/game outcomes. The stationary wager section may act as a magnifierpresenting details of the event that is currently in focus.

While swiping up and down the event/game list may allow the player tonavigate between the games within one event group (e.g., one sport),swiping left and right on the event/game list may allow the player toalter between different event groups (e.g., switch between sports). Someembodiments provide that haptic feedback may be provided to accentuateevent scrolling and to improve user experience.

For tracking a wagering game player in a casino or other wagering venue,some embodiments herein may further include real-time or substantiallyreal-time player tracking functions to keep track of the player wageringdata and/or positions during the live streaming event. For example,since a wagering session may include many wagers that are placed andresolved in a very short period of time, data may be continuously and/orperiodically updated to include data regarding number of wins/losses,amount won/lost, and/or a balance of funds available for subsequentwagering, among others. In some embodiments, the player data and/orpositions may be provided to a central server that may be incommunication with a gaming device.

Reference is now made to FIG. 1 , which is a schematic block diagramthat illustrates a system including a plurality of gaming devicesaccording to some embodiments. The system 10 may be located, forexample, on the premises of a gaming establishment, such as a casino, ina private residence, or may include components that are located atdifferent locations. The gaming devices 100 may be in communication witheach other and/or a central controller 49 through a data communicationnetwork 50, or remote communication link. The data communication network50 may be a private data communication network that is operated, forexample, by the gaming facility that operates the gaming device 100, apublicly accessible data communication network such as the Internet, ora combination thereof. Communications over the data communicationnetwork 50 may be encrypted for security. The central controller 40 maybe any suitable server or computing device which includes at least oneprocessing circuit, such as a processor, and at least one memory orstorage device. Each gaming device 100 may include a processing circuitthat transmits and receives events, messages, commands or any othersuitable data or signal between the gaming device 100 and the centralcontroller 49 and/or other gaming devices 100. The gaming deviceprocessor is operable to execute such communicated events, messages orcommands in conjunction with the operation of the gaming device 100.Moreover, the processor of the central controller 49 is configured totransmit and receive events, messages, commands or any other suitabledata or signal between the central controller 49 and each of theindividual gaming devices 100. In some embodiments, one or more of thefunctions of the central controller 49 may be performed by one or moregaming device processors. Moreover, in some embodiments, one or more ofthe functions of one or more gaming device processors as disclosedherein may be performed by the central controller 49.

A wireless access point 60 provides wireless access to the datacommunication network 50. The wireless access point 60 may be connectedto the data communication network 50 as illustrated in FIG. 1 , or maybe connected directly to the central controller 49 or another serverconnected to the data communication network 50.

One or more content servers, such as a wagering data server 70 and agaming content server 80, may also be connected through the datacommunication network 50. The wagering data server 70 may managedelivery of streaming data corresponding to sports betting to a user ofa gaming device 100. The streaming data content may be stored in awagering data database 75. Similarly, the gaming content server 80 maymanage delivery of the gaming content to the user of a gaming device100. The gaming content may be stored in a gaming content database 85.The wagering data server 70 and a gaming content server 80 may beimplemented within or separately from each other. The wagering dataserver 70 and a gaming content server 80 may also be implemented withinor separately from the central controller 40.

A player tracking server 90 may also be connected through the datacommunication network 50. The player tracking server 90 may manage aplayer tracking account that tracks the gameplay and spending and/orother player preferences and customizations of a player, i.e., the userof the gaming device 100, manages loyalty awards for the player, managesfunds deposited or advanced on behalf of the player, and otherfunctions. Player information managed by the player tracking server 90may be stored in a player information database 95.

The gaming devices 100 communicate with one or more elements of thesystem 10 to coordinate providing sports wagering data and synchronizedgaming content. For example, in some embodiments, a gaming device 100may communicate directly with another gaming device 100 over a wirelessinterface 62, which may be a WiFi link, a Bluetooth link, an NFC link,etc. In other embodiments, the gaming device 100 may communicate withthe data communication network 50 (and devices connected thereto,including EGMs) over a wireless interface 64 with the wireless accesspoint 160. The wireless interface 64 may include a WiFi link, aBluetooth link, an NFC link, etc. In still further embodiments, thegaming device 100 may communicate with other gaming devices 100 or otherdevices over the wireless interface 62 and the wireless access point 60over the wireless interface 64. In these embodiments, the wirelessinterface 62 and the wireless interface 64 may use differentcommunication protocols and/or different communication resources, suchas different frequencies, time slots, spreading codes, etc. For example,in some embodiments, the wireless interface 62 may be a Bluetooth link,while the wireless interface 64 may be a WiFi link.

The wireless interfaces 62, 64 allow the gaming devices 100 and/orcentral controller 40 to coordinate providing wagering data andsynchronized gaming content to the gaming devices 100.

In some embodiments, the central controller 40, wagering data server 70and/or gaming content server 80 may coordinate the generation anddisplay of sports wagering data and the synchronized gaming content forwagering on sporting events to more than one user and/or to more thanone gaming device 100. As described in more detail below, this mayenable multiple users to interact with the wagering data and/or gamingcontent in real time. This feature can be used to provide a sharedmultiplayer experience to multiple users at the same time. Moreover, insome embodiments, the central controller 40, wagering data server 70and/or gaming content server 80 may coordinate the generation anddisplay of the sports wagering data and the synchronized gaming contentto users at different physical locations.

Reference is now made to FIG. 2 , which a schematic block diagramillustrating network configurations for a system including a wageringdata server and a gaming content server according to some embodiments.The system 200 may include a gaming device 204 and a central controller240 for providing streaming video content and gaming content to a uservia the gaming device 204. In this example, the gaming device 204 isconnected to the central controller 240 via a network 250, but it shouldbe understood that the central controller 240 in some embodiments may bepart of the gaming device 204 or may be connected to the gaming device204 via a direct wired or wireless connection as well. A wagering dataserver 270 and a gaming content server 280 are also connected to thecentral controller 240 via the network 250 in this example.

In some embodiments, a sports data provider 290 may evaluate theoutcomes of events related to in-play wagers and provide an indicationregarding the outcome of the wagers. In some embodiments, the sportsdata provider 290 may provide a set of results corresponding to givenevents in the sports games. For example, in the context of football, aset of results may include data corresponding to run, pass, number ofyards lost or gained, player number, play type correlation, line ofscrimmage, and/or occurrences such as fumble, foul, interception, and/orscoring, among others. Any of the gaming device 204, the centralcontroller 240, and the gaming content server 280 may use the sportsdata from the sports data provider to resolve the outcomes of in-playwagers.

Reference is now made to FIG. 3 , which is a schematic block diagramthat illustrates various components of a computing device, which mayembody or be included as part of the devices, systems, and/or componentsabove, according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 3 , the computingdevice 1500 may include a processor circuit 610 that controls operationsof the computing device 1500. Although illustrated as a singleprocessor, multiple special purpose and/or general-purpose processorsand/or processor cores may be provided in the computing device 1500. Forexample, the computing device 1500 may include one or more of a videoprocessor, a signal processor, a sound processor and/or a communicationcontroller that performs one or more control functions within thecomputing device 1500. The processor circuit 610 may be variouslyreferred to as a “controller,” “microcontroller,” “microprocessor” orsimply a “computer.” The processor circuit 610 may further include oneor more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs).

Various components of the computing device 1500 are illustrated in FIG.3 as being connected to the processor circuit 610. It will beappreciated that the components may be connected to the processorcircuit 610 and/or each other through one or more busses 612 including asystem bus, a communication bus and controller, such as a USB controllerand USB bus, a network interface, or any other suitable type ofconnection.

The computing device 1500 further includes a memory device 614 thatstores one or more functional modules 620 for performing the operationsdescribed above. Alternatively, or in addition, some of the operationsdescribed above may be performed by other devices connected to thenetwork, such as the network 50 of the system 10 of FIG. 1 , forexample. The computing device 1500 may communicate with other devicesconnected to the network to facilitate performance of some of theseoperations. For example, the computing device 1500 may communicate andcoordinate with certain displays to identify elements of a race beingdisplayed by a particular display.

The memory device 614 may store program code and instructions,executable by the processor circuit 610, to control the computing device1500. The memory device 614 may include random access memory (RAM),which can include non-volatile RAM (NVRAM), magnetic RAM (ARAM),ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM) and other forms as commonly understood in thegaming industry. In some embodiments, the memory device 614 may includeread only memory (ROM). In some embodiments, the memory device 614 mayinclude flash memory and/or EEPROM (electrically erasable programmableread only memory). Any other suitable magnetic, optical and/orsemiconductor memory may operate in conjunction with the gaming devicedisclosed herein.

The computing device 1500 may include a communication adapter 626, whichmay also be referred to as a communication interface and that enablesthe computing device 1500 to communicate with remote devices, such asthe wireless network, another computing device 1500, and/or a wirelessaccess point, over a wired and/or wireless communication network, suchas a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), cellularcommunication network, or other data communication network, e.g., thenetwork 50 of FIG. 1 .

The computing device 1500 may include one or more internal or externalcommunication ports that enable the processor circuit 610 to communicatewith and to operate with internal or external peripheral devices, suchas a sound card 628 and speakers 630, video controllers 632, a primarydisplay 634, a secondary display 636, input buttons 638 or other devicessuch as switches, keyboards, pointer devices, and/or keypads, a touchscreen controller 640, a card reader 642, currency acceptors and/ordispensers, cameras, sensors such as motion sensors, mass storagedevices, microphones, haptic feedback devices, and/or wirelesscommunication devices. In some embodiments, internal or externalperipheral devices may communicate with the processor through auniversal serial bus (USB) hub (not shown) connected to the processorcircuit 610. Although illustrated as being integrated with the computingdevice 1500, any of the components therein may be external to thecomputing device 1500 and may be communicatively coupled thereto.Although not illustrated, the computing device 1500 may further includea rechargeable and/or replaceable power device and/or power connectionto a main power supply, such as a building power supply.

In some embodiments, the computing device 1500 may include a headmounted device (HMD) and may include optional wearable add-ons thatinclude one or more sensors and/or actuators. Including ones of thosediscussed herein. The computing device 1500 may be a head-mountedmixed-reality device configured to provide mixed reality elements aspart of a real-world scene being viewed by the user wearing thecomputing device 1500.

Reference is now made to FIG. 4 , which is a schematic front view of amobile device displaying a screenshot of a graphical user interfaceaccording to some embodiments. As illustrated, the screen may includeevent/games list 402, 404 and a fixed wager section 408 that maycorrespond to multiple wagering options. In some embodiments, the wagersection 408 may include current event/game and offered outcomes.

In some embodiments, a player may scroll up and down the event/game listto position the desired event/game under the fixed wager outcome section408. Some embodiments provide that the player swipes left and right tomove among sports and/or other wagering groups.

In some embodiments, in the list of events/games 402, 404 may indicatethat the event list may expand over wager section. Some embodimentsprovide that lists of events/games may include event/game items. Suchitems may be arranged to provide that on the left side each event/gameitem shows an away team and on the right side each event/game item showsthe home team. In the middle, event/game items may include date and/ortime of the event/game. In some embodiments, sports such as baseball mayfurther include a pitcher’s name specified in the second line. In someembodiments, as player scrolls events/games, the mobile device mayprovide haptic feedback such as a gentle vibration that corresponds tothe scrolling action.

Some embodiments provide that a player can swipe left or right to changeevent groups or sports. For example, a left or right scrolling maychange from a first sport, such as ice hockey to a second sport, such asfootball. An event group indicator 406 may use a tabbed design to showevent/game groups or sports. An active tab may change as the playerswipes left or right on the event/game list. In some embodiments, aplayer may select a different event/game group by pressing a tab thatcorresponds to the desired event/game group.

Some embodiments may include a wager section 408 that may be a fixedsection on the screen. The wager section 408 may include wageringoptions inputs 410, 412, and 414, a selected event section 418 and anevent outcomes section 420. As a player preference, the wager section408 section can be docked to the top of the screen, however, the playermay select that the wager section 408 is located closer to the middle ofthe screen to allow easier access single hand use while preservingenough space for event scrolling.

In some embodiments, a wagering options section includes a perspectiveselector 410, an amount control 412 and a wager type selector 414. Insome embodiments the amount control is positioned between theperspective selector 410 and the wager type selector 414. For example,the perspective selector 410 may be on the right side of the screen, theamount control 412 may be in the center and the wager type selector 414may be on the left side. Such embodiments are non-limiting.

Some embodiments provide that the perspective selector 410 may be usedto specify wagering preferences before identifying which events/gamesare the subject of the wagers. In some embodiments, the perspectiveselector 410 allows the player to select whether to play by specifying awager amount (i.e., investment) or to play using wagering outcomes basedon prospective winning amount (i.e., profit). In some embodiments, theplayer may change perspective at any point in determining the wager andvalues will be recalculated.

Some embodiments provide that the amount control 412 allows players tospecify a wager amount that may apply to subsequently placed bets.Depending on the perspective option 410, the specified amount can be theamount player wants to wager (i.e., invest) or the amount player aims towin (i.e., profit). Specifying amounts of wager type may speed up wagercreation because players may tend to repeat their wagering patterns(e.g., betting $10 straight wagers, or betting $2 parlay wagers.)

In some embodiments, the wager type selector 414 may allow a player toselect whether he wants to play straight or parlay wagers.

Some embodiments may include an elected event section 418 that displaysthe currently focused event. In some embodiments, the away team data maybe displayed on the left side and the home team data may be displayed onthe right side, however, such arrangement is non-limiting. In someembodiments, center section of the elected event section may displaystarting event date and time. In some embodiments, visual element suchas light magnification and/or colors may be used to express the focus.

Some embodiments may include an event outcomes section 420 that displaysdesignated outcomes for selected events. For example, rows may include apoint spread row, a total points row and a money line market row, amongothers. Each row may include boxes on one side that correspond to theaway team outcome (selection) and boxes on another side that correspondsto the home team outcome. In the current example, the spread box on theright (Home) side shows a line of (-2.5), the odds (-110), andprospective win ($9.09). The prospective win may be calculated from thepreviously specified wagering perspective (“wager”), specified amount($10) and outcome price (-110). If player specified the wageringperspective “To Win”, the prospective win would turn into a wager amountthat is required to gain the specified winning, which in the currentexample would be $11.

Some embodiments include a parlay control section 422. The parlaycontrol section may include a “betting slip” button used for parlaywagers and trash button for clearing selection. Some embodiments includean account section 424 that includes player -specific information.

Reference is now made to FIG. 5 , which is a schematic front view of amobile device displaying a partial screenshot of a graphical userinterface as illustrated in FIG. 4 for constructing a straight wageraccording to some embodiments. According to this example, a player mayuse the perspective selector 410 to select to play by specifying a wageramount and not a prospective winning amount. The player may then use theamount control 412 to specify a $10 wager amount. The player may thenuse the wager type selector 414 to select a straight wager type.

Continuing with the example, the player may scroll up and down the eventlist section 402 to select the game he wants to bet. In this example,the player puts Los Angeles Chargers Tennessee Titans game in focus todisplay the event description in the elected event section 418. Inresponse, six wagering outcomes 420 are presented in a compressed form.The compressed form includes:

-   Spread (point spread) - Chargers to win by more than +2.5-point    difference, price -105, the player stands “to win” $9.52 (for    invested $10 - specified in the box 412);-   Spread (point spread) - Titans to win by more than -2.5-point    difference, price -115, the player stands “to win” $8.70;-   Points (Under/Over) - Chargers to have over 40.5 points, price -110,    the player stands to earn $9.09;-   Points (Under/Over) - Titans to have under 40.5 points, price -110,    the player stands to earn $9.09;-   Money (line) - Chargers to win, price +125, the player stands “to    win” $12.50; and-   Money (line) - Titans to win, price -145, the player stands “to win”    $6.90.

Note that, at any time the player can modify the preset wager amount,and the potential winnings of all outcomes which are currently in focuswould be recalculated. Additionally, the player can modify the presetwagering perspective for Wager to “To Win” 410. Switching “To Win”wagering perspective allows the player to specify the desired winningamount. When used in that mode, instead of prospective winnings,wagering outcomes will show wager amounts necessary to achieve desiredwinnings.

After the player selects the outcome (e.g., Money line – Chargers), aconfirmation pop-up will be displayed. After player confirms the wagerusing the confirmation pop-up, the wager will be placed. Confirmationpopup may be beneficial in preventing accidental wagers.

Reference is now made to FIG. 6 , which includes two schematic frontviews of a mobile device displaying a screenshot of a graphical userinterface as illustrated in FIG. 4 for constructing a parley wageraccording to some embodiments. Several of the operations forconstructing a parlay wager may be the same as those discussed aboveregarding constructing a straight wager. As such, this discussion willfocus on the differences in constructing a parlay wager according tosome embodiments.

The first operation for constructing the parlay wager includes selectingthe wager type 602 to be in the parlay position. Similar to constructingthe straight wager, the player navigates to the desired game and picksthe outcome. In this case, instead of placing a wager, selecting theoutcome 604 causes the event/game to be added to a betting slip 606. Theselected game is automatically flagged 608 and the player navigates toadd more outcomes to his parlay wager.

As the player selects the second event/game (e.g., Saints @ Bears), theprevious outcome odds with the outcomes currently in focus and showsprospective winnings as-if the player selected the outcome. Theprospective winnings 610 are displayed as if winnings resulted fromaccumulated odds (-115 and -110 = 256.9, -115 and -155 = 249.5).

The outcomes that cannot be parlayed (due to contingently relatedselections or something else) may be displayed as disabled orunavailable in some way. The player picks the second outcome PointSpread for Bears 612 and the event/game is added to the betting slip.

The player places (or cancels) the wager by tapping onto the bettingslip icon 614 and confirms.

As used herein, a gaming device may include, for example, an electronicgaming device such as an electronic gaming machine (EGM), gamingterminal, etc., an electromechanical gaming device, a computing devicesuch as a personal computer, a mobile computing device such as a tablet,smartphone, etc., or another device or devices. In this regard, FIG. 7is a schematic block diagram that illustrates a dedicated gamingterminal for constructing wagers corresponding to live sporting eventaccording to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the gaming terminal300 includes a housing 302 having a display device 304, and a pluralityof input devices 306, such as a keypad 308, buttons 310, etc., forreceiving user input for playing the wagering game and otherwiseinteracting with the gaming terminal 300. In some embodiments, thedisplay device 304 may include a touchscreen interface for receivinguser input as well. The display device 304 may also be a single displaydevice or may include multiple display devices, such as a first displaydevice for displaying video of the live sporting event and a seconddisplay device for displaying gaming and wagering information forexample. The gaming terminal 300 may include additional specializedhardware as well, such as an acceptor 312, for receiving currency (i.e.,bills and/or coins), tokens, credit or debit cards, or other physicalitems associated with monetary or other value. The gaming terminal 300may also include a dispenser 314, for dispensing items, such as physicalitems having monetary or other value (e.g., awards or prizes) or otheritems.

The gaming terminal 300 may include a processor circuit and a memorycoupled to the processor circuit. The memory may includemachine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processorcircuit, cause the processor circuit to perform operations for operatingthe gaming terminal 300 and/or other features described herein. In thisexample, the gaming terminal 300 may include a graphical user interface(GUI) 316 displayed by the display device 304 for providing the videoand gaming information to the player.

These and other features may be implemented as operations that may beexecuted by a processor circuit of a computing device. Reference is nowmade to FIG. 8 , which is a flowchart illustrating operations ofsystems/methods according to some embodiments. Operations may includereceiving (block 802) wager data corresponding to multiple of events andwagers and/or wager opportunities. For example, received data mayinclude the identification of past, current and/or upcoming events/gamesthat may correspond to one or more wagers and/or wagering opportunities.Data may include event/game participant information, date/time spreads,points, weather, and/or other data that would be required or beneficialwhen evaluating wagering opportunities.

Operations include generating (block 804) a graphical user interface(GUI) on a display device of a mobile device or other device thatincludes a processor circuit, a memory and a display. Operations includereceiving (block 806), via the GUI, an input that corresponds to awager. Brief reference is made to FIG. 9 , which is a flowchartillustrating operations of systems/methods of receiving (block 806) theinput that corresponds to a wager. According to some embodiments theinput comprises a first wager input, a second wager input, a third wagerinput and a fourth wager input. Operations include receiving (block902), via the GUI, the first wager input that selects a wagering type.After receiving the first wager input, operations include receiving(block 904), via the GUI, the second wager input that selects a wageringamount. Operations may include, after receiving the second wager input,receiving (block 906), via the GUI, the third wager input that selects afirst event of the events corresponding to the wager and that is basedon the first wager input and the second wager input. Operations mayinclude after receiving the third wager input, receiving (block 906) thefourth wager input that selects a second event of the eventscorresponding to the wager and that is based on the first wager input,the second wager input and the fourth wager input.

Referring back to FIG. 8 , operations include sending (block 808), via acommunication interface and to a wagering server, constructed wager datacorresponding to the wager defined by the first wager input, the secondwager input and the third wager input. Some embodiments include sending,to the wagering server, constructed wager data corresponding to thewager defined by the first wager input, the second wager input and thefourth wager input. In some embodiments, the second wager input thatselects the wagering amount is based on a target amount to win whilesome embodiments provide that the wagering amount is based on an amountto invest.

Some embodiments include displaying (block 810), via the GUI, an eventindicator that identifies ones of the events and event specific datacorresponding to the events and receiving (block 812), via the GUI, anevent swiping input that causes the event group indicator to scroll todisplay different events. In some embodiments, the event specific datacorresponding to the events includes home/away indication correspondingto where the event/game will be played and/or event date/timeinformation.

In some embodiments, the event indicator includes a focus function that,responsive to an event being selected as a selected event, causes theselected event to include a modified appearance and generates and/ordisplays expanded wagering outcomes corresponding to the selected event.

Embodiments may further include displaying (block 814), via the GUI, anevent group indicator that identifies an event group and receiving(block 816), via the GUI, an event group swiping input that causes theevent group indicator to scroll to display different event groups.

Some embodiments include displaying (block 818), via the GUI, a wagersection. The wager section may include a perspective selector to receivea perspective input to select between wagering outcomes based on aprospective winning amount or based on an investment amount. Someembodiments provide that the wager section includes an amount controlselector to receive an amount input to select the amount a player wantsto invest or an amount the player wants to win.

Some embodiments provide that, in response to receiving the amount inputto the amount the player wants to invest, operations include determiningthe corresponding amount that the player may win and, in response toreceiving the amount input to the amount the player wants to win,operations include determining the corresponding amount that the playerwill invest.

Some embodiments provide that the wager section includes a wager typeselector to receive a wager type input to select between a straightwager or a parlay wager.

Some embodiments include displaying (block 820), via the GUI, a selectedevent section that includes identities of event participants and anevent starting date/time. In some embodiments, operations includedisplaying (block 822), via the GUI, an event outcomes section todisplay designated outcomes for a selected event. Operations may includedisplaying (block 824), via the GUI, a parlay control section thatreceives a parlay control input for selecting either a straight play ora parlay play and a cancel input that erases previously selected eventsin the parlay play. In response to receiving a parlay control input thatselects the parlay play, operations further include recalculating (block826) win amounts of unselected events based on selected ones of theunselected events.

Some embodiments include displaying (block 828), via the GUI, anaccounts section that includes aggregate and potential winning wageringperformance data corresponding to a given time period.

Reference is now made to FIG. 10 , which is a flowchart illustratingoperations of systems/methods according to some embodiments. Operationsinclude to receive (block 1002), from a wagering data server, wager datacorresponding to multiple events and wagers and to generate (block 1004)a graphical user interface (GUI) on a display device that receives, viaa touch screen input, a first wager input, a second wager input and athird wager input. In some embodiments, the first wager input selects awagering type. After receiving the first wager input, the second wagerinput selects (block 1006) a wagering amount. In some embodiments, afterreceiving the second wager input, the third wager input selects (block1008) events/games corresponding to the wager that is based on the firstwager input and the second wager input.

Some embodiments include to send (block 1010), via a communicationinterface and to the wagering server, wager data corresponding to thewager defined by the first wager input, the second wager input and thethird wager input. In some embodiments, operations include to display(block 1012), via the GUI, a wager section that includes a wager typeselector to receive a wager type input to select between a straightwager or a parlay wager. Some embodiments provide that, responsive toreceiving an amount a player wants to invest, operations are further todetermine (block 1014) a corresponding amount that the player may winand, responsive to receiving an amount the player wants to win,operations are to determine (block 1016) a corresponding amount that theplayer will invest.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating operations of systems/methodsaccording to some embodiments. Operations may include generating (block1102) a graphical user interface (GUI) that comprises two axis displaycontrol. The two-axis control may be used to determine a selected eventgroup along a first axis and to determine multiple events along a secondaxis. Operations may include receiving (block 1104) wager amount dataand wager type data via the GUI. Some embodiments include, afterreceiving the wager amount data and the wager type data via the GUI,receiving (block 1106) event selection inputs corresponding to theevents and determining (block 1108) an aggregate total amount of wagerinvestment and winnings based on outcomes of selected ones of theevents.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the presentdisclosure may be illustrated and described herein in any of a number ofpatentable classes or context including any new and useful process,machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and usefulimprovement thereof. Accordingly, aspects of the present disclosure maybe implemented entirely hardware, entirely software (including firmware,resident software, microcode, etc.) or combining software and hardwareimplementation that may all generally be referred to herein as a“circuit,” “module,” “component,” or “system.” Furthermore, aspects ofthe present disclosure may take the form of a computer program productembodied in one or more computer readable media having computer readableprogram code embodied thereon.

Any combination of one or more computer readable media may be utilized.The computer readable media may be a computer readable signal medium ora computer readable storage medium. A computer readable storage mediummay be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic,optical, electromagnetic, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device,or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (anon-exhaustive list) of the computer readable storage medium wouldinclude the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, arandom access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasableprogrammable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an appropriateoptical fiber with a repeater, a portable compact disc read-only memory(CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or anysuitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document,a computer readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that cancontain, or store a program for use by or in connection with aninstruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signalwith computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, inbaseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may takeany of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to,electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. Acomputer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium thatis not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate,propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with aninstruction execution system, apparatus, or device. Program codeembodied on a computer readable signal medium may be transmitted usingany appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline,optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of theforegoing.

Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of thepresent disclosure may be written in any combination of one or moreprogramming languages, including an object oriented programming languagesuch as Java, Scala, Smalltalk, Eiffel, JADE, Emerald, C++, C#, VB.NET,Python or the like, conventional procedural programming languages, suchas the “C” programming language, Visual Basic, Fortran 2003, Perl, COBOL2002, PHP, ABAP, dynamic programming languages such as Python, Ruby andGroovy, or other programming languages. The program code may executeentirely on the user’s computer, partly on the user’s computer, as astand-alone software package, partly on the user’s computer and partlyon a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. Inthe latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user’scomputer through any type of network, including a local area network(LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to anexternal computer (for example, through the Internet using an InternetService Provider) or in a cloud computing environment or offered as aservice such as a Software as a Service (SaaS).

Aspects of the present disclosure are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatuses(systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of thedisclosure. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer program instructions. These computer program instructions maybe provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, specialpurpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus toproduce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via theprocessor of the computer or other programmable instruction executionapparatus, create a mechanism for implementing the functions/actsspecified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computerreadable medium that when executed can direct a computer, otherprogrammable data processing apparatus, or other devices to function ina particular manner, such that the instructions when stored in thecomputer readable medium produce an article of manufacture includinginstructions which when executed, cause a computer to implement thefunction/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks. The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable instruction execution apparatus, or otherdevices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on thecomputer, other programmable apparatuses or other devices to produce acomputer implemented process such that the instructions which execute onthe computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. The flowchart and block diagrams in the figuresillustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possibleimplementations of systems, methods, and computer program productsaccording to various aspects of the present disclosure. In this regard,each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module,segment, or portion of code, which includes one or more executableinstructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). Itshould also be noted that, in some alternative implementations, thefunctions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in thefigures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, beexecuted substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes beexecuted in the reverse order, depending upon the functionalityinvolved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagramsand/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the blockdiagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by specialpurpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions oracts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computerinstructions.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularaspects only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. Asused herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify thepresence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/orcomponents, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or moreother features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groupsthereof. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and allcombinations of one or more of the associated listed items and may bedesignated as “/”. Like reference numbers signify like elementsthroughout the description of the figures.

Many different embodiments have been disclosed herein, in connectionwith the above description and the drawings. It will be understood thatit would be unduly repetitious and obfuscating to literally describe andillustrate every combination and subcombination of these embodiments.Accordingly, all embodiments can be combined in any way and/orcombination, and the present specification, including the drawings,shall be construed to constitute a complete written description of allcombinations and subcombinations of the embodiments described herein,and of the manner and process of making and using them, and shallsupport claims to any such combination or subcombination.

What is claimed is: 1-20. (canceled)
 21. A computer implemented methodof constructing sports wagers, comprising: receiving wager datacorresponding to a plurality of events and wagers; generating agraphical user interface (GUI) on a display device that receives aninput that corresponds to a wager, wherein the input comprises a firstwager input, a second wager input and a third wager input; receiving,via the graphical user interface, the first wager input that selects awagering type; after receiving the first wager input, receiving, via thegraphical user interface, the second wager input that selects a wageringamount; after receiving the second wager input, receiving, via thegraphical user interface, the third wager input that selects a firstevent of the plurality of events corresponding to the wager that isbased on the first wager input and the second wager input; and sending,via a communication interface and to a wagering server, constructedwager data corresponding to the wager defined by the first wager inputand the second wager input and the third wager input.
 22. The method ofclaim 21, further comprising after receiving the second wager input,receiving, via the graphical user interface, the third wager input thatselects a first event of the plurality of events corresponding to thewager that is based on the first wager input and the second wager input.23. The method of claim 22, wherein the wager is further defined by thethird wager input.
 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the inputcomprises a fourth wager input, and wherein the method furthercomprises: after receiving the third wager input, receiving the fourthwager input that selects a second event of the plurality of eventscorresponding to the wager and that is based on the first wager input,the second wager input and the fourth wager input; and sending, to thewagering server, constructed wager data corresponding to the wagerdefined by the first wager input, the second wager input and the fourthwager input.
 25. The method of claim 24, further comprising displaying,via the GUI, an event indicator that identifies ones of the plurality ofevents and event specific data corresponding to the plurality of events.26. The method of claim 25, wherein receiving, via the GUI, an eventswiping input that causes the event group indicator to scroll to displaydifferent events.
 27. The method of claim 25, wherein the event specificdata corresponding to the plurality of events comprises home/awayindication.
 28. The method of claim 25, wherein the event specific datacorresponding to the plurality of events comprises event date/timeinformation.
 29. The method of claim 25, further comprising displaying,via the GUI, an event group indicator that identifies an event group andreceiving, via the GUI, an event group swiping input that causes theevent group indicator to scroll to display different event groups. 30.The method of claim 24, wherein the second wager input that selects thewagering amount is based on a target amount to win.
 31. The method ofclaim 21, further comprising displaying, via the GUI, a wager sectionthat comprises a perspective selector to receive a perspective input toselect between wagering outcomes based on a prospective winning amountor based on an investment amount.
 32. The method of claim 21, furthercomprising displaying, via the GUI, a wager section that comprises anamount control selector to receive an amount input to select the amounta player wants to invest or an amount the player wants to win.
 33. Themethod of claim 32, wherein responsive to receiving the amount input tothe amount the player wants to invest, the method further comprisesdetermining the corresponding amount that the player may win.
 34. Themethod of claim 33, wherein responsive to receiving the amount input tothe amount the player wants to win, the method further comprisesdetermining the corresponding amount that the player will invest. 35.The method of claim 21, further comprising displaying, via the GUI, awager section that comprises a wager type selector to receive a wagertype input to select between a straight wager or a parlay wager.
 36. Themethod of claim 21, further comprising displaying, via the GUI, aselected event section that comprises identities of event participantsand an event starting date/time.
 37. The method of claim 21, furthercomprising displaying, via the GUI, an event outcomes section to displaydesignated outcomes for a selected event.
 38. A gaming devicecomprising: a display device; a processor circuit; and a memory coupledto the processor circuit, the memory comprising machine-readableinstructions that, when executed by the processor circuit, cause theprocessor circuit to: receive, from a wagering data server, wager datacorresponding to a plurality of events and wagers; generate a graphicaluser interface (GUI) on the display device that receives a first wagerinput, a second wager input and a third wager input; wherein the firstwager input selects a wagering type; wherein after receiving the firstwager input, the second wager input selects a wagering amount; and send,via a communication interface and to the wagering server, constructedwager data corresponding to the wager defined by the first wager input,the second wager input and the third wager input.
 39. The gaming deviceof claim 38, wherein after receiving the second wager input, the thirdwager input selects multiple ones of the plurality of eventscorresponding to the wager that is based on the first wager input andthe second wager input.
 40. The gaming device of claim 38, wherein theprocessor circuit is further caused to display, via the GUI, a wagersection that comprises a wager type selector to receive a wager typeinput to select between a straight wager or a parlay wager, whereinresponsive to receiving an amount a player wants to invest, theprocessor circuit is further caused to determine a corresponding amountthat the player may win.